iAm a Mama
by Unaccompanied.Minor14
Summary: "Remember...before we started iCarly...how I said I was in juvvy for six months?" She looked up at me with her blue eyes tear filled. "I wasn't in jail, Freddie."  Little bit of Romance, too!
1. Chapter 1

**New Story Idea! Hope You like this one.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned iCarly, I'd have a ranch full of amazing horses and I'd shop in New York everyday. Unfortunately, I only own a laptop.**

Chapter 1

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I grabbed the last suitcase and hefted it into the dark navy suburban, the car that Carly Shay's older brother, Spencer, had rented. With a sigh, I shut the back hatch door and turned sadly towards Carly.

"Well," I said. "I guess this is it." _Be strong Freddie._

Carly gave me small, sad, adorable smile. "I guess so," she commented quietly, her eyes dark with sadness. She embraced me tightly around the waist (she was so small compared to me now…where had the days gone by?) and rested her head against my chest. I hugged her back.

"I'll see you at the end of July," she promised in my ear. "Don't change while I'm gone."

I smiled. "I'll try. But wouldn't you rather have a cool best friend rather than a teck-stooge?"

Carly laughed. "No. I'd rather have Freddie Benson." Abruptly, a strong, forceful grip on my shoulder ripped me painfully from Carly's arms and sent my stumbling backwards.

"Yeah, _Fredward,"_ Sam Puckett snorted, flashing her dark blue eyes angrily in my direction. "So stop crowding the chick and let me hug my best friend goodbye!"

"Oh, Sam," Carly sighed, hugging her close. "I'm going to miss your destruction everywhere you go." I snorted; I wasn't.

Sam stuck her tongue out at me then replied to Carly: "Well, I'm gonna miss you trying to protect this doofus I get to spend the summer with. You better not love Hawai'i too much!"

Carly's father, an officer in the U.S. Navy, was going to be stationed for a three months on Oahu, nearby Pearl Harbor. Spencer and Carly were going down for the remaining two months, after school had ended for the three of us, to visit their parents. I knew that Carly was excited to see her dad, but deep down I was dreading the two months without her to stop Sam from doing heaven-knows-what to me. I could avoid her as well as I could with my job at the video store downtown, but the fact was, we were friends. She was abusive, but a friend.

Carly was laughing. "I won't, I promise. I'll be back to raid the mall for new school clothes before you'll even miss me."

"Doubt that," I mumbled under my breath. Carly heard and smiled sympathetically at me.

"Don't worry, Freddie." I returned a grateful smile. Sam gagged and came to grab me by the back of my neck. Shaking me like a mouse, she pulled me close to her.

"Don't worry about us, Carls," she said. "I'll take good care of little Freddie…" Sam grinned mischievously. My stomach dropped and I dodged away from her.

"If you kill me, Sam, my mom will..."

"Oh, your mom is a load of crazy," Sam dismissed my statement with a lazy wave of her hand. I started to protest but let my voice fade. I had to face it; Sam was right.

"Okay, kiddo!" Spencer bounced out of the apartment complex and ruffled Carly's hair. "You ready to head to the airport?"

Carly grinned. "Sure." She turned to us and held her arms out for a group hug. "I'm going to miss you guys! Sam, text me if you decide about iCarly or not."

"I will." We had yet to see if iCarly would continue while Carly was gone. I'd set up an online poll for the viewers to vote on, and Sam had screamed, while standing on top of the lunch table in the cafeteria, for the opinions of our peers.

As Carly climbed into the car, I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was over, finally…sophomore year. Next year, I could have my license…I could go off campus for lunch…and I could go to prom. Unfortunately, my would-be date was driving away as I thought.

Next to me, Sam burped and turned to leave. "Later, looser."

"Wait." I grabbed her arm. "We should probably check the reviews on iCarly…see what the viewers think about the show."

Sam groaned. "I don't wanna work! I'm expecting another round of Meat of the Month this afternoon…this time is from Egypt!" She tossed her blonde, curly hair behind her shoulder. "You can call me, alright?"

"But…"

"Bye!" In a flash, she dashed across the parking lot, jay walked across the street, nearly avoided an oncoming semi ("SAM! Look out!") and disappeared into the park. Shaking my head ruefully, I walked back inside to check the ratings.

* * *

"Alright, Benson. I'm leaving Darcy in charge, do what she says, blah blah blah…" My manager, Ed, walked out of the front door of Seattle Vid, one of the video rental stores, and slammed the glass door behind him. I cringed, but continued sweeping the tiles. Great. Darcy was a dream to work with…when she wasn't PMSing.

Unfortunately, it was that awkward time of the month.

"FREDDIE!" The blonde came storming out of the office. "What are you doing?"

"Sweeping the tiles," I sighed, looking down at the broom handle. Here it comes…

"Look at me when you speak to your supervisor! Now go check in the returns!" I looked up.

"Yes, ma'am…" I mumbled, picking up the broom, ignoring the "SPEAK CLEARLY" from Darcy and putting the broom in the supply closet. From the desk, I had the perfect view of the street of downtown Seattle outside the window.

Listening to Darcy rampaging at an innocent customer was oddly calming as I typed away at the computer and clicked the scanner. Carly had left a week ago and I'd only curled up in my room alone and full of sadness once. Mostly, I'd been working, which took my mind off things. Even Sam, who'd stuck melted cheese in my sock drawer while I'd been in the kitchen, helped keep my mind off Carly. Pain, both physical and emotional, tended to do that to me.

Humming to myself, I checked in twenty videos. Glancing carelessly out the window, I grabbed the next DVD in the pile. Something caught my eye. I looked back up. What was it?

Suddenly, a flash of familiar, blonde hair caught my eye across the street. It was Sam. I watched in amazement as she stepped out of an apartment complex, and glanced around the street, which was nearly empty at the later hour of the evening. But it wasn't the fact that she was here that surprised me. It was the fact that she was holding herself around the middle.

And she quite obviously was sobbing hysterically.

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	2. Chapter 2

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**Hope you like this!**

Chapter 2

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The DVD fell with a clatter to the tile floor, but by then I was already well on my way out of the door. Ignoring Darcy's profanities following me, I dashed across the street after Sam.

"Sam!" I shouted. "Sam, wait!"

She barely stopped to glance back at me. When she did, her eyes widened and she took off down an alley. Damn, but she was fast. With a slight groan, I rushed after her, dodging small kids and hobos along the way. "Sam! Stop!"

I chased her three blocks down, almost into Seattle's main stretch, before she rounded on me, her eyes flashing with fury. I couldn't slow down in time; I met her shove with an "oof!" of lost air. She sent me spiraling backwards onto my back. My head cracked against the concrete and I groaned. I barely had time to sit up and rub my head before she was screaming at me.

"Go away, Freddie! Just leave me alone! Don't you dare follow me ever again!"

"Sam…" I said weakly. The world was spinning. "Sam, wait…what…what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, you stupid tech goob! Now leave me alone!" She aimed a kick at my ribs, which ended in my groaning and rolling over in agony, and stalked off.

"Wait…Sam…I thought we were friends!" I called meekly after her. But she'd already pushed her way through the crowd, disappearing. I rolled back and tried not to die there on the sidewalk.

"Doesn't seem like you're great friends to me," a passing hobo commented. I glared at him.

"Shut up, Gary."

He shrugged and walked on. I eventually managed to roll myself over and unsteadily get to my feet. Stumbling, I limped back to the video store, where Darcy was eagerly waiting.

"You are in so much trouble, Benson, and if you think that you still have a job here, then you better go check again because I am calling Ed the moment we get off work and having you fired!"

I took the scolding, and tried to speak. "I…I'm sorry, I had a friend outside…she was crying…"

"Well, you can comfort your girlfriend tonight but…" abruptly, Darcy's voice began to fade. The world tilted to the left and I grabbed the counter for support.

"Are you listening to me, Benson!"

"Yes…ma'am…" I managed, before the world went black.

* * *

My mom placed a warm washcloth on my head. "It always has to be you, doesn't it?" she fussed. "Oh, that Carly girl is just a load of schnitzel!" She patted the blankets down around me and yanked the thermometer from my mouth. "Oh, blast, ninety-nine degrees…I better call the doctor…"

"Mom," I interrupted. "Its fine…I just tripped on my way to work and I didn't think I'd really hurt myself. Carly isn't even here…she's in Hawai'i with her family."

"Well, you still get hurt the most! I don't see Sam riddled up in bed!" My mom checked the blood pressure pump on my arm and tsked.

"That's because she's too busy being riddled up in jail," I mumbled. My mom, if she'd heard, made no comment only to scowl and fluff my pillows.

"Well, the ER doctors said you had a mild concussion and should take it easy, though there are no obvious signs of brain damage…do you remember everything, Freddie-boo?"

"Yes, mom," I sighed, exasperated. "I'm fine."

"You are so lucky that lovely Darcy girl called the paramedics, otherwise…" My mom trailed off. I snorted; sure, she'd called the paramedics, only after screaming at me for sleeping on the job and an off-duty EMT had to convince her I was in serious condition…and only semi-conscious.

Suddenly, our doorbell rang. My mom went to the monitor. "Who is it?" she demanded, pressing the button.

"It's Sam. Let me in, I need to talk to Freddie." Sam's surly, lazy tone implied she intended on seeing me, whether coming in through the door or the window.

"I don't think so. He's always getting into trouble around you and…"

"Mom," I interrupted. "Just let her in. Otherwise, she's going to climb in through the window." I sat up to make my speech but a wave of dizziness sent me crashing back down on the bed, muffling a groan. My mom sighed.

"Fine! But if I catch you two doing something, then you are in so much trouble!" I couldn't help but go red at the memory. Last time I'd been hauled up in bed, Carly and I had made out on the mattress…I'd only been in a bathrobe. It's not like I hadn't liked it…but this was Sam.

"Don't worry, Mom," I assured her at the same time Sam said "EW! Don't worry, crazy. I wouldn't do anything with Freddie if my life depended on it."

My mom scowled at the video-image of Sam and punched in the key code. I laid back and stared at the ceiling of my room. I figured all Sam wanted to do was threaten me to make sure I didn't tell what had happened and to possibly call me a wimp for being hurt.

Sam sauntered into my room, a corndog in hand, and glanced around. "Nice room, Fredork. Could you get your mom to leave?"

"Excuse me, but I don't feel comfortable leaving two alone…" my mom began. Sam turned and screamed in her face.

"LEAVE US ALONE!"

Even my mom couldn't top that. With a squeak, my mother fled.

"Hey, you can't just treat my mom like that…" I started to protest but stopped when I saw the expression on Sam's face. It had gone from fury and annoyance to remorse and embarrassment in a second.

"I'm sorry, Freddie," she whispered, looking down at her Converse. I paused; Needless to say, I hadn't expected this. With a sigh, I patted the bed beside me. Sam sent me a grateful smile and sat awkwardly on my bed. She curled up, hugging her knees and refused to look at me.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," she continued, picking at a loose thread on my comforter. "I guess…in the heat of the moment…I just reacted. I didn't mean to give you a concussion."

"It's okay," I said. "You didn't kill me…that's what's important." It was so odd, seeing Sam like this. She never apologized, about anything. Then again, I was still in shock from seeing her cry yesterday. She could be saying anything…or, more likely, I could still be unconscious in the emergency room.

Sam looked over at me, pain in her eyes. "No…Not yet." She took a deep, shuddering breath and I realized she was near tears. "Look. About yesterday…just forget what you saw, okay? Its none of your business and its better…better if you just stay out of the way, alright?" She stood up to leave.

"Wait, Sam," I grabbed her hand. "We're friends, okay? Understand that, I consider us really close friends. You can tell me what's going on. I promise…"

Sam looked down at our hands. With a jolt, I realized two things: one, she was probably about to break my hand, among other things, and two…it kind of felt nice, our hands like that. Her hand was little, littler than I'd expected, and soft. I squeezed it unconsciously and looked up at her.

"Please, Sam?" I didn't even know what I was asking for, but it seemed to have an effect on Sam. She held my hand tighter, but as I braced for the pain, I realized it was in a reassuring kind of way. She bent down beside the bed and looked me in the eye.

"Forget it, Benson," she repeated. "I'm fine. Everything is fine. Leave it alone." She stared deep into my eyes, the blue, I realized, more beautiful than I'd imagined.

"Sam…" I whispered. But she was already standing up and leaving. When I'd come to my senses, she was gone.

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